Multiple times Monday, Tom Thibodeau emphasized it was going to take everyone for the Knicks to survive without Mitchell Robinson.
His players were listening.
It took several Knicks performing well on the offensive end, from the big three of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson to key reserves Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein to survive what would’ve been a disastrous loss ahead of a daunting five-game road trip.
It was not a defensive performance that will be remembered fondly against the Raptors, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, but the Knicks buckled down in the end for a 136-130 victory at the Garden on Monday night.
Mostly, they won with offense, shooting a through-the-roof 60.5 percent overall and making 17 3-pointers on a night Immanuel Quickley (left knee inflammation) wasn’t available and the Knicks found out Robinson will likely be out until March with a stress fracture in his left ankle.
Randle led five Knicks in double figures with 34 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Barrett added 27 and Brunson notched 21 points and nine assists.
Playing the bulk of the minutes in place of Robinson, Hartenstein had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Jericho Sims got the start and produced seven rebounds in a season-high 21 minutes.
Grimes and Hart (eight rebounds, six assists) combined for 35 points, outscoring the Raptors reserves on their own.
O.G. Anunoby scored 29 points for Toronto, which has dropped six of its last seven games.
The Knicks finally created some separation midway through the fourth quarter after stringing together three consecutive stops, a rarity in this game.
It coincided with a 7-0 run that built their biggest lead of the second half to seven.
After Barrett scored inside, Grimes hit a 3-pointer after missing in close and Hart scored off of a Barrett steal, which forced a Raptors timeout with 6:52 left.
A few minutes later, Hart put the game away, following up a 3-pointer with a driving layup to push the lead to 10 with 2:38 to go.
The Knicks held a halftime lead for the first time in three games on the strength of a strong offensive opening half.
Eight of their nine players scored, and they shot 54.5 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from long range.
Randle started hot and didn’t cool off, scoring 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting, and Grimes continued to produce off the bench with 13 points in the opening 24 minutes.
Their defense, though, remained an issue.
There were multiple communication problems in the opening minutes, leading to wide-open looks for the Raptors.
Toronto piled up 35 points in the opening quarter — the eighth time in the Knicks’ last nine quarters they had allowed at least 30 points.
The Raptors, who entered the night 23rd in offensive rating, scored 60 in the first half despite shooting 5 of 22 from 3-point land.
They found the range in the third quarter, going 6 of 11 in the period.
The Knicks, specifically Randle, matched them shot for shot. Randle scored 11 in the quarter, ensuring Thibodeau’s team at least kept a one-point lead entering the final 12 minutes.
Randle had a big two-handed dunk at one point, but was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim.
It became a four-point possession for the Raptors when Barnes hit a free throw and Precious Achiuwa followed with a 3-pointer.